Simon Coveney TD

Having travelled to the Middle East some time ago where I visited Israel and Palestine including Gaza, I believe that the New Story Leadership programme offers a unique approach to conflict resolution in the region by encouraging young people to come to the forefront to share their stories with each other and with the Washington DC community. Young people must not only be part of the future discourse from the Middle East, but they must also be afforded the opportunity to shape it

Biography: Born in Cork in June 1972, Simon Coveney holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Land Management from Royal Agriculture College, Gloucestershire. He was also educated at Clongowes Wood College, County Kildare; University College Cork, and Gurteen Agricultural College, County Tipperary. He was appointed Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food on March 9, 2011. He represents and Cork South Central constituency. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann in a by-election for Cork South Central in October 1998, following the untimely death of his father, Hugh Coveney TD. He has served in a number of senior Party and Oireachtas positions. Simon served as a member of the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009. He is also a former member of Cork City Council.

He is a keen fan of all competitive sport from Gaelic Football and Hurling to Rugby, he played Rugby for Garryowen, Cork Constitution and Crosshaven Rugby Clubs. In 1997/8 he led the “Sail Chernobyl Project” which involved sailing a boat 30,000 miles around the world and raising €650,000 for charity. He has travelled extensively, visiting a large number of Third World countries. He is a fully qualified Sailing Instructor and Life Guard. For a number of years he had been responsible for the management of the family farm and family interests in County Cork